


Fireworks Look Better As Paintings

by myrtleandmercury



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Misunderstandings, Multi, Pining Arthur
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-02
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-10-02 08:22:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17260856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myrtleandmercury/pseuds/myrtleandmercury
Summary: Merlin has devised a plan that can, in no way shape or form, possibly go wrong. He’s plotted and schemed for weeks, involved his girlfriend as extra help, analyzed it from every possible angle, created at least 3 backup plans if anything goes off course, and even hosted a party with thirty-five other guests just to put it in place. So, naturally, things go to shit.





	Fireworks Look Better As Paintings

Merlin has devised a plan that can, in no way shape or form, possibly go wrong. He’s plotted and schemed for weeks, involved his girlfriend as extra help, analyzed it from every possible angle, created at least 3 backup plans if anything goes off course, and even hosted a party with thirty-five other guests just to put it in place. So, naturally, things go to shit.

The plan goes like this = Contrary to very popular belief, Merlin is not a complete idiot. he's noticed the way his closest friend, Gwen (And Camelot's sweetest sweetheart), and his roommate and sworn enemy, Arthur (Camelot’s most infamous and arrogant prat), look at each other with these little knowing glints in their eyes, whispering to each other over the table and sharing inside jokes and hidden meanings in seemingly every traded word. They always look like they have a deeper understanding of each other; like they've confessed some kind of secret to the other. In short, Merlin is at least 99% sure that they’re pining for each other, despite Gwen's attempts to persuade him otherwise. Now, on the other side of the plot, there is another soon-to-be couple: Lancelot and Morgana, the two classic opposites from fairytales. Lancelot lives up fully to his noble name - Brave enough to evict the biggest spider, loyal enough to be their sober driver during monthly pub crawls, (see also: overly competitive drinking games between Merlin and Arthur that end up with Merlin passed out face first on the sticky floor, and Arthur drunkenly boasting his victories to anyone who will listen. And anyone who will not.), and most importantly, handsome enough to make all the girls - and blokes- on campus to swoon with barely a smile in their direction. And Morgana- well, Morgana has the power to kill with a single look, and has divided Camelot university into two sides- those who admire her and those who are terrified of her. They seem like the perfect match; two jigsaw pieces just waiting to be slotted into place.

(Let it also be known that Lance and Morgana are simply nothing more than friends - yet. Lance is always with Gwen, and therefore always with Morgana since the two girls are practically inseparable. Lance and Gwen also have the sweetest friendship in the university, perfectly content with cuddling and tender touches and smiles. Merlin is more than slightly jealous of their platonic ease.) (Merlin is also an oblivious idiot.)

Two perfect matches, one overenthusiastic party, and a tradition where couples kiss on the stroke of midnight - the plan had practically created itself.

So, Merlin has enlisted the help of his long-term girlfriend of three years, Freya, to round up the couples and quarantine them together at midnight, so that Morgana and Lance will kiss, Arthur and Gwen will kiss, and both duos will inevitably fall madly in love with each other, and Merlin will be hailed as a hero - all thanks to his incredible intelligence and cunning. Its perfect in every way.

++++

Three hours later, it is five minutes to midnight, Merlin’s party is in full swing with an earthquake of dancing feet, and nothing is going to plan.

“Sorry! Excuse me, coming through!”

Merlin navigates through the sea of sweaty, pounding bodies like a test rat through a maze, his apologies completely drowned out by the thundering sound of millions of university students drunkenly singing along with Micheal Buble, who is currently swaying across the screen in a blue, crisp suit that does wonders for showing off his perfectly proportioned figure, and - _Merlin, focus. You have a girlfriend to find and four soulmates to pair up._ Finally, after what seems like an hour of squeezing through sloppy teenagers, Merlin catches a glimpse of golden hair painted in electric pinks and blues by the lurid overhanging lights, bobbing up and down and completely out of time with the music thrumming through the speakers. Merlin feels a glimmer of hope as he pushes through the crowd - there is only one person with hair that unfairly blond and such terrible dancing skills.

“Merlin!” Arthur turns to him with a delighted grin like a four-year-old that just stole a chick from a petting farm, and Merlin grasps his arm to balance himself in the dreamlike atmosphere. Arthur looks unnaturally sloppy tonight, shirt untucked, tie askew and hair ruffled in a way that Merlin knows for a fact would have Uther Pendragon scowling a stormcloud. Arthur also smells very strongly of beer, a red solo cup Merlin didn’t even know they owned clutched in his palm, and the sight of this Arthur, who is completely loose and free does something to Merlin's stomach that makes him feel like a vice has been loosened around his organs. Okay, so Arthur is totally wasted. That's... fine, Merlin can work with that. Hopefully, true love’s kiss works as an incredible method for sobering up drunk uni students. “Isn’t this party amazing! You have the best ideas, Merlin,” He slurs happily.

Normally, Merlin would store away both the praise and adoring smile deep in his memory of best Arthur moments, but for now, he’s a man on a Very Important Mission.

“Yeah, I know, I'm amazing, remember to always listen to me. Have you seen Lance, Gwen, Morgana or Freya anywhere?”

Arthur nods slowly, still beaming. (Merlin decides he very much prefers happily drunk Arthur to normal, grumpy-old-man Arthur.), “Guin’ere and Lance are ov’r there”. Merlin swings over to the direction Arthur is nodding at, where Gwen and Lance are sat in a deserted, melancholic and blue corner, both sipping beer and smiling at each other.

Oh no. Why aren’t Lance and Morgana together? Where on earth is Freya? Merlin glances at the clock. Seventeen seconds to go. Shit.

“Okay buddy,” Merlin huffs, dragging Arthur across the room and towards Gwen and Lancelot. His plan will not go in vain, at least one pair of soulmates will be matched up tonight. Lance and Morgana can remain a matter for another day. “You’re gonna get to kiss the love of your life tonight, I promi-”

And the rest of his sentence is drowned out by a sea of people chanting one number in alarming unison.

“10!”

Oh no. Ohhhh no.

Merlin yanks harder on Arthur's arm, storming towards Gwen and Lance with newfound speed,

“9!”

Lance's hand is snaking towards Gwen's cheek as she leans in and tilts her head, and Merlin stops in his tracks,

“8!”

The chorus is deafening this time, and Merlin's mind swings with the flashing strobe lights, 

“7!”

But- but- Arthur and Gwen were in love, weren’t they? Merlin had this all planned out, how was he wrong? 

“6!”

“Morgana!” Arthur calls from next to him, waving enthusiastically,

“5!”

Merlin swings around, and Morgana is in the corner, obviously preoccupied, her pale hands racing across someone's chest, repeatedly kissing them with almost desperate vigor,

“4!” 

And Merlin can’t quite make out Morgana’s newfound partner in the dim lighting, but Lance and Gwen are now kissing, and his plan has gone completely awry, and he can't speak over the noise, can't think,

“3!”

And then the couple turns, and Merlin can see Morgana's partner, and his stomach sinks into his Docs and curls up and shrivels into a sour ball,

“2!”

Its Freya.

“1!”

And then clocks are chiming, and the people are shouting, and the television is booming, and the lights are still flashing, and Freya is kissing someone else-

And then warm lips are suddenly on his, a calloused hand brushing through his sweaty hair, and the world is drowned out as all he can smell is leather and coffee and Arthur, and it feels so, so good, but all he can think is that its the wrong person, and they're all the wrong people, and his girlfriend maybe never loved him at all, and its just too much. So Merlin does what he does best when faced with fear, and runs away. 

++++

The dormitory corridor feels like a totally different universe to his shared dorm room, the atmosphere almost like the quiet aftermath of a catastrophe. It's eerily silent, despite the vibrating carpet and muffled music from various dorm rooms. Merlin sucks in a long breath of the cool air and lets himself slowly sink to the floor. He’d been so certain that tonight would be one of the best nights for him and his friends, but instead, he’s starting the New Year sat on some unwashed carpet and staring at the stained white ceiling as he blinks furiously against the tears threatening to escape down his cheeks. How could he be so stupid? Of course, of course, it would’ve been Lance and Gwen together, and- and Morgana and Freya- how long-

He draws up his knees and buries his face in the ripped denim. It's not fair, he thinks, it's not fair at all, how long hadn’t she loved him? Did she feel any guilt? Does she regret it at all? Did she even think about Merlin, for a slight moment?

A warm weight around his shoulders drags him, out of his thoughts, and he looks up to see Arthur sat next to him, glaring at the wall opposite, arm draped protectively over Merlin. His eyes are still glazed over; pupils slightly dilated and Merlin can smell the alcohol on his breath, but he seems to have sobered up rapidly over the past few minutes. Merlin allows himself this moment of weakness - it's not like Arthur will remember this in the morning anyway - and leans into the warm weight next to him.

After several moments of quiet, Arthur clears his throat. “I'm sorry.”

“Wasn’t your fault.”

They drift in the silence for a while longer, and this time Merlin is the one to break the still.

“She was supposed to be setting Morgana up with Lance.”

Arthur snorts halfheartedly, “Morgana and Lance? She'd kill him.” Merlin smiles weakly.

“Stupid, now I think back on it. We were rounding Morgana up with Lance so they’d share their true love's kiss at midnight. I was supposed to do the same for you and Gwen.”

Arthur tenses up beside Merlin, his posture suddenly growing rigid.

“You were leading me away… towards Guinevere?”, He sounds strangely upset, and the slur in his voice is gone. He sounds almost… disappointed. Its a tone Merlin never wants to hear from Arthur anymore. 

“You two looked good together, like you had some secrets that no-one else understood” Merlin confirms, and Arthur is strangely silent.

“Everyone has secrets,” Arthur says, eyes fixed resolutely on the wall ahead. “We didn't though. Not about... that”

“Oh”.

And they sit together, until the people begin to pour out of their dormitory, and the sounds of music have long ceased.

++++

_18 missed calls, 4 voicemails, and 13 missed messages._

++++

Freya: merlin where are u?  
Freya: we need 2 talk  
Freya: im so, so sorry merls.  
Freya: i was so drunk i didn’t even know what i was doing until it was too late  
Freya; please merlin  
Freya: i know u have no reason to even look at me again but you’re still the best friend i’ve ever had and i’ll forever hate myself if I don't make this right  
Freya: so please can we talk about this?  
Freya: merlin?

++++

_4 voicemails deleted._

++++

Gwen: merls where are you? we’re getting pretty worried here xx  
Gwen: merlin? xx  
Gwen: merlin i'm getting really worried, please pick up.  
Gwen: i just heard what happened from freya. i'm so so sorry merls. please tell me when you want to talk again, or whatever i can do to help xx

++++

Arthur: Hey, you weren’t at home this morning so I ate the last of the Cheerios. Apology dinner later?  
Arthur: It's going to be okay, Merlin.

++++

Arthur finds him on the roof of the university building, lying on his back and gazing at the predictably overcast skies above. Its late afternoon and a chill is running through the air, so Merlin is grateful that Arthur knows him well enough to both bring a spare thick cardigan with him and simply sit in companionable silence. It's strange, how much they argue yet how well they know each other. They bicker constantly, yet for Arthurs many flaws and arrogance, Merlin finds himself missing the prat’s familiar presence during the holidays they spend apart, and he knows without question Arthur feels the same. Even Freya used to call them an ‘old married couple’, and Merlin has never felt more grateful to have a companion like Arthur.

“I don’t think we loved each other, not really.” Merlin says, bunching the cardigan tighter around his shoulders. Arthur looks at him curiously, but thankfully doesn’t interrupt, so Merlin continues, “I mean, obviously we did at first when we were young and finally were adults who could live like adults and have adult relationships. But there was a point, I think, where it stopped being romantic and started being more affectionate. We didn’t have butterflies in our stomachs anymore, and I think we became friends instead of lovers.” Merlin smiles softly, "I suppose you could say that instead of falling out of love we fell into friendship. And maybe that's okay, maybe you don't have to be something more to be close together, and maybe its okay to simply not love someone anymore.”

Arthur grins at him, another adoringly affectionate smile that makes Merlin's heart beat that little bit faster, and Merlin knows that this is the true Arthur, unshrouded by his usual facade of arrogance and insults. He entwines their fingers together, and they stay like that for a while, until watercolor pink slowly begins to dye the cotton clouds glorious shades of loving pastel.

“I thought you were leading me away to kiss me”, Arthur says conversationally. “I think you can tell I was… more than enthusiatic by the idea”.

Oh. _Oh._

“Wait, what?!” Merlin demands, sitting upwards to stare incredulously at his partner. “You _what?”_

Arthur glares at him. “Really, Merlin, you can be such a moron sometimes. I like-like you, you idiot.”

Merlin's eyebrows rise to the top of his forehead.  
“You what?” he squeaks, turning an embarrassing shade of red.

And suddenly it all adds up. The way Arthur makes sure to leave a meal in their crappy fridge for Merlin when he gets home, the frequent coffee trips that felt more like dates, the way he catches Arthur just watching him do menial tasks, the soft midnight greetings when one of them returns home, blankets over his shoulders after long nights slaving away over his textbooks. Arthur challenging Merlin to seemingly every little thing, always watching to make sure Merlin notices him do anything slightly impressive - it was all just to win Merlin's favor?

And Merlin himself - suddenly Arthurs drunken praises and smiles that matter so much to Merlin have a new meaning. Maybe - maybe Merlin possibly likes the arrogant prat back?

Well, there only one way to find out that, Merlin supposes as he leans in close to cross the distance between his and Arthur's lips.

And suddenly, he realizes what he’s been missing out on.

The kiss isn’t perfect by any means- Arthur is too surprised to reciprocate at first, Merlin accidentally clashes their teeth together, and they’re both bent at awkward angles, and Merlin starts to think he’s made an awful, friendship ruining mistake, until Arthur takes his cheek in his palm, bending his neck at just the right angle and he opens his lips and-  
Huh.

Merlin can taste fresh coffee and cereal on Arthur's breath, and their second kiss is far better than their first (mainly because Merlin doesn't feel like he’s going to throw up) , and the butterflies in his stomach decide to swoop from wall to wall - but most importantly, Arthur feels like home and cozy mornings, and as the sky fades completely into a sugary pink, Merlin knows that this is exactly where he belongs.

**Author's Note:**

> i think this is the result of watching way too much friends


End file.
